Water main break floods streets, yards, basements in Saranac Lake

February 1, 2014

SARANAC LAKE - A major water main break late at night left sections of Park Avenue and Margaret Street under several inches of water, flooded the basements of several homes in the neighborhood and affected water service for much of the village.

Village police Sgt. Casey Reardon said the break was reported to police around 11:30 p.m. It apparently occurred on Park Avenue, near the intersection with Circle Street, where a large section of the pavement had lifted up from the rest of the road. A torrent of water was pouring into the street.

From there, the water was moving downhill in two directions: further up Park Avenue, past Circle Street, and through a vacant lot next to Jason and Zoe Smith's Park Avenue house. From that lot, the water was flowing across the Smiths' backyard, over a small stone wall and into the abutting backyard of Karen and Scott Smith's house on Margaret Street.

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Water gushes out of a section of upheaved pavement on Park Avenue, the site of a major water main break in Saranac Lake Friday night.(Enterprise photo — Chris Knight)

Park Avenue resident Zoe Smith takes a picture of water flowing over a stone wall and into her neighbor’s backyard Friday night following a major water main break in Saranac Lake.(Enterprise photo — Chris Knight)

Water from a major water main break falls over a stone wall behind Jason and Zoe Smith’s house on Park Avenue and into their neighbors yard on Margaret Street Friday night.(Enterprise photo — Chris Knight)

Several inches of water sit in Margaret Street in Saranac Lake Friday night following a water line break uphill on Park Avenue.(Enterprise photo — Chris Knight)

Water was flowing through several other nearby yards, and there was at least two to three inches of standing water on a section of Margaret Street.

A Saranac Lake Volunteer Fire Department truck showed up around 12:10 a.m. and provided a pump for the Margaret Street Smiths to use to pump out their basement, which had reportedly filled with a foot-and-a-half of water.

The request for fire department assistance came as many of the department's members were near St. Regis Falls area battling a major structure fire at the Santa Clara Lodge.

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Village Department of Public Works crews were at the scene trying to get the water turned off. They'll likely be working to repair the break late into the night.

Water service for part of the village was expected to be interrupted for an unknown period of time.